My invention relates to installation tools and, more particularly, to installation tools having barrel assemblies which can be loaded by a fastener fed through an opening in the barrel.
Many driving tools have been developed for driving fasteners into workpieces. The intended use of the driving tools often defines problems which require unique solutions. One such application requiring special driving tools is the installation of insulation on metal roof deck. The insulation is normally held to the roof deck by means of enlarged washer-like plates through which an elongated threadable fastener or nail type fastener extends. The insulation may be six inches thick or more and, therefore, the fastener which often approaches seven or eight inches must be held in proper alignment so that it properly penetrates the insulation and the metal roof deck.
The above type of application requires the loading of an elongated fastener into the tool and a proper alignment of the fastener within the tool.
A number of fastener entrant means have been proposed heretofore. In my United States Pat. No. 3,973,605 I disclose a breech-type barrel assembly which opens in the manner of a shotgun to receive a hand fed fastener. In my United States Pat. No. 4,081,254 I disclose a barrel assembly in which a strip carrying fasteners passes through slots in the wall of the barrel to sequentially place the fasteners within the barrel bore. Others have heretofore provided entrant means in barrel assemblies wherein the fastener is hand fed through appropriate slots in the barrel wall into the barrel bore. Exemplary of these patents are U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,845,968, 2,484,655 and Netherlands Pat. No. 51,874.
A number of power operated screwdrivers include automatic means of feeding fasteners. Exemplary of these are U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,907,014, 3,524,484, 2,922,447 and 2,327,074. Several of the above patents also teach various jaw assemblies for holding the fastener in alignment at the time of installation. Other patents teaching means for holding the fastener within the barrel at the time of installation include U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,056,441, 1,889,330 and 3,226,537.
For the most part, the various tools disclosed in the above patents are not suitable for handling extremely long fasteners in which alignment is also critical. A commonly used tool for installing insulation on roof deck includes a tube feed. However, the incidence of bowed fasteners increases with fastener length and this in turn causes jamming within the tube feed. In addition, the barrel must be extremely long to accommodate a fastener fed at an angle to the barrel. Because of the required length of the barrel assemblies, the overall weight is increased. In addition, the tool becomes cumbersome and wear problems and alignment problems increase.